When an aircraft, whether it comprises a military aircraft or a commercial airliner, is being serviced, a mobile ground power cart is usually moved toward and located near the aircraft so as to be capable of supplying necessary electrical power by means of a suitable electrical power cable. Normally, of course, electrical power for the aircraft is self-generated on board the aircraft by means of suitable generator apparatus which is adapted to be normally driven by means of the aircraft's engine or engines. In order to provide the aircraft with such externally generated electrical power, the aircraft is of course provided with a suitable electrical connector, and the electrical power cable disposed upon the mobile ground power cart is provided with a suitable aircraft power connector which is adapted to be electrically connected to the onboard aircraft electrical connector. As may well be appreciated, when the aircraft power connector of the mobile ground power cart power cable is to be electrically connected to the aircraft electrical connector disposed upon the aircraft, it is imperative that the retention force, that has been developed or established between, for example, the female receptacle portions of the electrical connector contact pins of the aircraft power connector, and the male electrical connector contact pins disposed upon and projecting outwardly from the onboard aircraft electrical connector, be sufficiently large such that the integrity of the electrical connection, which has been established between the aircraft power connector and the onboard aircraft electrical connector, will not be inadvertently adversely compromised or interrupted throughout the entire time period that the mobile ground power cart is being used to supply electrical power to the aircraft.
However, if the aforenoted retention force, that has been developed or established between the aircraft power connector and the onboard aircraft electrical connector, is sufficiently large such that the integrity of the electrical connection, which has been established between the aircraft power connector and the onboard aircraft electrical connector, will not be inadvertently adversely compromised or interrupted throughout the entire time period that the mobile power cart is being used to supply electrical power to the aircraft, then it is to be additionally appreciated that the insertion force, that is required to initially establish the electrical connection between the aircraft power connector and the onboard aircraft electrical connector, will likewise be sufficiently large. A sufficiently large insertion force, however, sometimes presents procedural problems or difficulties for operational personnel in that the onboard aircraft electrical connector is not always disposed at a location upon the aircraft which is easily or readily accessible to operational personnel. For example, the onboard aircraft electrical connector may be disposed at a location which is relatively inaccessible or at least difficult to access by operational personnel. Alternatively, the onboard aircraft electrical connector may be located at a relatively high elevational position. Alternatively, still further, the onboard aircraft electrical connector may be disposed at a location which requires operational personnel to access it only from a particular direction or angular orientation. Accordingly, under any one of the aforenoted conditions, when operational personnel seek to establish the electrical connection between the aircraft power connector and the onboard aircraft electrical connector, the operational personnel may not always be able to exert the relatively large insertion force which is required to in fact establish the electrical connection between the aircraft power connector and the onboard aircraft electrical connector.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved aircraft power connector which effectively exhibits differential insertion and operational retention forces such that operational personnel are readily able to initially establish an electrical connection between the aircraft power connector and the onboard aircraft electrical connector with a relatively minimal force exertion level, regardless of the particular location or accessibility of the aircraft electrical connector disposed on board the aircraft, and yet once the electrical connection is in fact established between the aircraft power connector and the onboard aircraft electrical connector, the retention force level, between the aircraft power connector and the onboard aircraft electrical connector, can be significantly enhanced or sufficiently high such that the electrical connection, that has been established between the aircraft power connector and the onboard aircraft electrical connector, will be assuredly maintained and not be inadvertently adversely compromised or interrupted. Still yet further, when the electrical connection between the aircraft power connector and the onboard aircraft electrical connector is in fact to be discontinued, such as, for example, when the servicing of the aircraft has been completed, the retention force level, maintaining the aircraft power connector electrically connected to the onboard aircraft power connector, can in fact be intentionally reduced so as to permit the aircraft power connector to in fact be easily and readily disconnected from the onboard aircraft electrical connector.